Richard Cranch to John Adams

[dateline] Boston June 22d 1781

[salute] Dear Bror:

I wrote you by Doctor Dexter on the 28th Ulto. which I hope will come safe to hand.
Tho' I have not had the Happiness of a Line from you since you left America yet I
shall gladly embrace the Oportunity that now offers (by a Ship bound to Denmark) to
write you a few Lines. We have just received Letters from Spain giving an account
of the very great successes against the English in India by Hyder { 158 } Ali &c.—'Tis remarkable to observe how far the Destruction of the Indian Weed at Boston a few Years ago, has operated towards the loss of the very Country itself
from whence the Pride of Britain has been so fed and fostered. I mentioned in my last
that the Enemy in the southern States were making their Efforts with various success.
By a Letter from Genl. Washington to Genl. Heath received yesterday by Express, (which
the General was so kind as to read to me) it appears that Genl. Green about the 15th
Ulto. had made himself Master of the Enemy's Strong Post at Camden and three other
of the strongest Posts that the Enemy held in South Carolina, together with their
Stores of Provisions, Cannon and Baggage; and had taken seven or eight Hundred Prisoners.
The numbers of Field Officers, Subalterns and Privates are mention'd, but I do not
recollect them exactly. Genl. Washington mentions in the same Letter the junction
of the Enemy's Forces in a part of Virginia, as being what would give them room to
make some partial Depredations at first, but as what will finally prove destructive
to them. Genl. Washington has call'd upon this State to fill up its Battallions immediately,
which the Court has accordingly order'd to be compleated by the last of this Month.
Three Thousand Melitia are also call'd upon from this State for “supporting Communications
and for other Purposes,” together with Beef &c. for their Support. Above two hundred
and fifty Yoke of Oxen and Carriages are now taken up here in this Neighbourhood for
transporting Large Mortars and heavy Battering Cannon, and other Warlike Stores from
this Place which will set out immediately, some of them this Day; and the like Movements
are making in other Parts of this State. What the Plan of our illustrious General
is, may be infer'd from the following Passage in his Letter to this Government, dated
Weathersfield May 24th 1781.

“In consequence of a Conferance held between his Excellency the Count De Rochambeau
and my self at this Place, the French Army will march as soon as Circumstances will
admit, and form a junction with the American on the North River. The accomplishment
of this Object which we have in contemplation is of the utmost importance to America,
and will in all probability be attained unless there be a failure on our Part in the
number of Men which will be required for the Operation, or the Enemy should withdraw
a considerable part of their Force from the Southward. It is in our own Power by proper
Exertions to prevent the first—and should the last take place, we shall be amply repaid
our Expences by liberating the Southern States where we have found by Experience we
are only vulnerable.“—”The Enemy { 159 } counting upon our want of Abillity or upon our want of Energy, have, by repeated Detachments
to the southward, reduced themselves in N: York to a situation which invites us to
take advantage of it.”1

We have heard that you have succeeded in Holland in a Loan, thro' the House of Messrs.
Deneufville and Son, of about 100,000 Pounds Sterlg.2 If by means of that Loan you should want to have any Publick Business transacted
in this Place I should be glad to be assisting in it. Or if any of your Friends should
be inclined to make a Tryal of sending any Merchandize this way on Commission, I should
be glad to transact Business in that way for them with the greatest care and Dispatch,
and on the most reasonable Terms. I suppose any Goods that are vendable in this Country,
and are well bought in Europe, will fetch here double their first Cost in Gold and
Silver or Bills of Exchange by the large quantity together; and in smaller quantities
such as single Pieces of Linnen &c. three for one. My meaning is that an Invoice of
well chosen Goods, that amounted to one hundred Pounds Sterling first Cost at the
usual wholesale Price in Europe, would fetch here, from two Hundred to three hundred
Pounds of the same Sterling Money in Specie, or in good Bills of Exchange.

I know that the transacting of those Matters lays entirely out of your Line, as well
as out of your Inclination; but as you must sometimes mix with the Mercantile World,
should a Hint of this kind be drop'd by you it might be of Service to me. Verbum sat
&c.

I expect every moment when the Vessell will be under Sail, so that I must in haste
conclude, with Love to your dear little Boys and Mr. Thaxter (to whome I wrote two
Letters by Doctor Dexter) your affectionate Bror. and humble Servt.,

[signed] Richard Cranch

A French Fleet of Transports from Brest under convoy of several Frigates is arrived
here within about ten Days past. I hear that all but one are arrived safe, and that
one, (being the ship that had most of the Wine on Board) is drove on Shore not far
from Plymouth, whether she will be got off or not I dont learn, nor do I know exactly
where she is. The Troops that came in this Fleet march'[d] about a Week ago.

RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “To His Excellency John Adams Esqr: to the Care of Messrs: De Neufville
and Son, Merchants in Amsterdam.”; endorsed by John Thaxter: “Mr. Cranch 22d. June
1781.” Dft (MHi:Cranch Papers); endorsed: “Rough Draft of a Letter to Bror. Adams June 22d 1781.”

1. These are extracts from Washington's circular letter to the New England States, 24
May, printed in full in his Writings, ed. Fitzpatrick, 22:109–11.

2. This effort had failed; see above, Lovell to AA, 21 May, and note 2 there.